Black Letter Communications (BLC) has been working with specialist regulator the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) since 2017.
The CLC is the only body solely dedicated to the regulation of conveyancing and probate lawyers and initially appointed BLC to help raise its profile.
Fast forward to today and it is not only contributing to the conversation but leading it, with publications like the annual CLC Risk Agenda and Conveyancing 2030 – a deep dive into the future of the sector.
These are just some of the initiatives BLC has developed, putting the regulator firmly on the radar of b2b and b2c journalists as well as enhancing its communications with its regulated community and giving it a greater voice in discussions with other stakeholder groups, including at policy level.
We also manage the CLC’s social media accounts, which is a responsibility rarely given to a third-party provider but is recognition of our role as a true strategic communications partner.
Our work
We assist the senior management team in promoting the CLC’s aims and objectives to its regulated community and to other stakeholders working in property, the wider legal industry, and consumers.
In particular, there is a focus on positioning the CLC as a proactive, innovative and proportionate regulator, highlighting the benefits of law firms under other regulators switching to specialist CLC regulation. We also support the promotion of conveyancing and probate as desirable career options and the CLC qualifications as the most accessible route.
We also continue to drive awareness and engagement amongst consumers in a bid to educate and increase confidence in home buying and selling, and the probate process.
In line with these themes, we continue to deliver regular, successful initiatives, including:
- Roundtables:
The CLC’s annual roundtable has become a key event in the industry’s calendar, attracting key stakeholders including HM Land Registry, the Law Society and the Conveyancing Association, many of whom return year-on-year. Chaired by Black Letter’s Neil Rose, the roundtable is always a lively discussion on the issues and challenges facing the conveyancing sector, and proposed solutions, generating significant media coverage as a result.
Such is the success of these roundtable events that we have now added a further two to the roster. The ‘Futures’ roundtable examines the role and experiences of junior conveyancers, whilst an inaugural roundtable focused on the conveyancing experience from a consumer perspective heard that CLC efforts to empower consumers had had such a “significant, measurable impact” that a report was subsequently produced for the Legal Services Board.
- Risk Agenda:
First launched in 2021, this annual report focuses on the key issues and challenges facing the conveyancing market and is packed with comprehensive advice and guidance to help firms stay compliant. Whilst its launch always attracts media coverage, the Risk Agenda acts as a year-round reference guide for firms and demonstrates its proactive approach of delivering quality outcomes and preventing consumer harm. And it has been recognised by the Legal Services Board as ‘best practice’ communications.
- Quarterly Confidence Tracker:
Launched at the start of 2025, the CLC’s Quarterly Confidence Tracker tracks the sentiment, trends and expectations of conveyancers. This quarterly snapshot provides additional data and commentary on current market conditions and has, to date, generated substantial media coverage.
- Case studies:
This growing bank of interviews with firms regulated by the CLC showcases both the benefits of switching to specialist regulation and of supporting employees to qualify via the CLC pathway.
- Conveyancing 2030:
A major discussion paper examining what the conveyancing market will look like in 2030, this was launched at the CLC’s annual conference in 2020 and is still cited as a reference by industry colleagues today.
- The Customer Charter:
The charter sets out what consumers can expect from a CLC-regulated lawyer and is available to every practice to feature in their marketing materials. This aids transparency and also reassure consumers by detailing the high standards to which the CLC holds its regulated community.
Media coverage
BLC’s proactive approach in producing regular, relevant content in the form of press releases, comment on breaking news and thought-leadership articles means that our ambitious coverage targets continue to be beaten year on year.
Since taking over management of the CLC’s social media accounts on LinkedIn and X, we have seen a 40% increase in followers. Elevating the regulator’s profile has also succeeded in driving more traffic to its website, increasing the number of speaking opportunities offered, and unsolicited approaches from journalists.
The CLC has become a go-to for comment from journalists in the conveyancing, wider legal and property press as well as consumer media, with recent coverage including a slot on BBC Morning Live to discuss conveyancing fraud, a Daily Telegraph article on selling a house without an estate agent, and regular article placements in What Mortgage and First Time Buyer Magazine.
What the CLC says
Stephen Ward, director of strategy and external relations at the CLC, says: “We are a specialist regulator, yet consistently manage to punch above our weight when it comes to share of voice.
“Black Letter Communications are trusted PR partners who not only understand our responsibilities as a regulator but have an excellent grasp of technical issues, allowing them to help us communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences.
“I’m particularly impressed with their proactivity – they don’t wait to be asked to do something and regularly come up with new creative approaches to enable us to be heard.”
